West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-10-07
SOME HINTS ON WRITING FOR
THE PRESS.
]. ]. Brown, in the Epoch.

As I am an old editor myself
may be pardoned for giving few
words of advice to that vast multi
tude of persons eager to get into
print.
Before making up your mind to
write anything for a newspaper or a
periodical be sure that you have
something to say to the public. If
possible let it be something new, for
otherwise the editor may call it a
"chestnut" and throw it into the
waste basket.
Having decided upon your sub
ject, think it out thoroughly and
settle the outlines of it clearly.
You should then decide the manner
of presenting your theme, choosing
the way that you think the most
direct and convincing. Don't take
the average editorial in New York
daily newspaper as your model, for
that would be the worst guide you
could have.
Don't spend week hunting thro'
the dictionary for big words to use,
for big words rather hide ones
meaning than make it clear. / know
Of nothing more plain in any tongue
than such sentence as this:
There was man sent from God
whose name was John" That is
pure Anglo-Saxon speech. Don't
use long sentences, for q long SEN
tence is apt to have wind in it.
Neither should the sentences be too
short, for that gives broken and
scrappy effect. 1t has been contend
ed by some good writer's that when
thought is concisely expressed it
is impossible to strike out or add so
much as one word without derang
ing the meaning.
Avoid 'fne writing" for it is to
literature what rouge is to human
beauty. Grandiloquent phrase is
the chief snare for beginners. In
stead of endeavoring to be simple,
they try to be profound, and thus
make war on their intellect with
their phraseology.
A great art in writing is to know
when you have said enough. Most
writer's, especially beginners, think
that they increase the value of their
work by returning to the point
and stating the same thing in differ
ent ways. This is n delusion.
If an editor announces that he
wants contributions one-third of u
column long, and not longer, why
send him q manuscript that weighs
just two pounds avoirdupois? He
can't use it. and your time and your
stamps are lost. I know that stamps
do not always accompany manu-
script for return" and / will be
candid enough 20 admit that. when
l was an editor, | was apt to be pre-
JUDGED against writer who did
not send stamps. Once, indeed, |
declined to- read bulky manuscript
because no stamps came with it.
shall now jot down q few points
that beginners would do well to keep
in mind:
Before sending u manuscript 10
an editor take look ut his paper
and try to find out the kind Of mat
ter he wants. For example: Don't
send an article championing inf
delity," or "the Church of Rome" to
the New York Independent, or an
emotional drama to the Popular
Science Monthly. If you want to
wage war on aesthetic literature
don't take your thunder to the Cen
tury Ifyou think that the nature
of the Mugwump is as ugly as his
name, don't go to the New York
Times with your statement
Finally, use note sheets and write
upon only one side of the paper. If
your handwriting is illegible go to
type writer. Spell your words
correctly and verify your facts and
figures, for it is not fair to make the
editor do these things.